The Four Victors: Healing Wounds
by Lola Estheim
Summary: The Rebellion had started. Many were involved, but not everyone will survive. Friendships will form, romances will blossom, enemies will be gained, and people WILL get hurt. But this time, the odds aren't exactly in their favor. *SEQUEL TO THE FOUR VICTORS!*
1. Over and Over

**Yay! The sequel is up! I'm excited! Are you guys excited? Cause I am! I hope you like it. And enjoy. Then review :)**

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Six months had passed. The pregnancy had been a misunderstanding. Sadly, my Glimmer wasn't pregnant. I wanted to marry her first. Then I'd give her all of the children that she wanted.

I spent my time working at the jewelry shop with Glimmer during the day. She taught me everything that she could about jewelry and the different minerals and stones and such. Glimmer didn't know it but I made her a diamond ring. I was going to propose to her, and soon. I just needed to find a good time.

* * *

Katniss, Peeta, Glimmer, and I had a very depressing Victory Tour. Some of the citizens of the other districts scowled, especially at Glimmer and I. Both of us had killed many people in the Arena. My district was second. Everyone cheered for us. I looked for Leo and Thalia in the crowd. I'd visited last month. I saw Leo standing next to Katri. Apparently, the two were engaged. Maybe he'd been serious when he said that he might marry her a few months back. _Let's just see how long that lasts_, I'd thought. However, I didn't see Thalia anywhere.

When we got to District 4, everyone was angry. I'd killed both tributes from this district. I heard angry yells from the crowd. Someone even jumped onto the stage where we stood, but he was gunned down by peacekeepers before he could attack anyone. His body landed with a thud.

The 75th Hunger Games was approaching, also known as the Third Quarter Quell. "What if we get reaped again?" Glimmer asked me at dinner one night. "I'm pretty sure that we won't both make it out alive. Not this time."

I sighed in defeat. "I don't know."

"Did you check the mail?"

"I'll go get it," I said, putting my fork back down. I got up from the table and went outside to the mailbox. It was cool outside. The breeze sent chills up my spine. I opened the mailbox to find a single envelope. It didn't say who it was from, so I opened it. It read: Do you realize that you have started an uprising? Put an end to this or you will be punished once more. Sincerely, President Snow.

I took the note to Glimmer who stared at it in disbelief. "What does he mean? An uprising? Nobody's rebelled."

"I don't know. But where would we even begin… if we were to stop the uprising?"

"I don't know. Maybe we should call Katniss and Peeta." I nodded and went for the phone. When Katniss answered, she told me that she and Peeta had also gotten the same letters. "I don't know what to do," I admitted. Katniss sighed.

"I don't know either," she said. "All we can do is stay low profile and hope."

"What about the Games? They're in a couple of months."

"I'll be in it again. That's for sure. And then either Peeta or Haymitch will be reaped. It's possible you and Glimmer could be reaped again."

"I know. I can't let her be in the Games again. Not again. If I'm in it, so be it. But I can't deal with it. I've just stopped having nightmares. They'll be back soon enough."

"Be strong," she said. "For all of us. I'll talk to you soon." I hung the phone up and returned to my Glimmer. "They got the same note," I told her. She put her head in her hands and let out a frustrated yell.

"Why is this happening to us? Why can't he just leave us alone? We've been minding our business. We haven't hurt anyone! Is he that bored with his life?"

"I wish that we could put him in the Games… so he'd know how it feels to starve or freeze or be murdered by another tribute." That actually was a pretty good idea… if it was possible. I wanted to put him in the Games too. But how would one even accomplish that? That would be the best day of my life… to see President Snow murdered, or just to watch him suffer and die of natural causes. One day—I just didn't know which—he would pay for what he's done to me and my friends. "What's wrong?" she asked, noticing the smirk plastered across my face.

"Nothing," I said. Then I smiled again as I felt the ring in my pocket. "I just want to ask you something."

"What is it?" she asked, standing up from her chair. I got down on my knee and took the ring out of my pocket. She covered her mouth in surprise. "Will you marry me, Glimmer Jolson?" I asked. I looked up at her, waiting for her answer.

"Of course!" she shrieked. I stood back up and she jumped up to hug me. "I love you," she said and kissed me. "I love you so much."

` "I love you too. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

* * *

We put on our best clothes and went outside. Glimmer squeezed my hand tight as we separated in the lines. They took our blood and I stood on the side where all of the males were. I looked over at Glimmer, who looked nervous as ever.

Lila Averstone stood on the stage. "Welcome! And Happy Hunger Games!" she said happily. It made me sick. It made me want to start a riot or something. "After we watch this short film, we will begin the Reaping." We were forced to watch the boring film.

"War… Terrible war," the film started. After that I zoned out. When it was over, Lila clapped merrily, as if she won an award or something. "I shall start with the girls," she said and went over to the box. She picked out a slip of paper with a name on it. "Cashmere Alorus," she said. Cashmere started toward the stage, leaving her distraught brother behind.

She went for another slip of paper for the boys. "And for the boys," she said. She opened the paper and said the name that I feared most. "Cato Forth." I stepped forward. Last year, I'd volunteered for the Games. A year later, I would've done no such thing. But here I was, chosen by chance. And technically, this wasn't my district. Well I supposed it was now, since I'd transferred.

I got up on the stage and introduced myself. I heard Glimmer screaming "No!" at the top of her lungs and trying to run to me, but Gloss carried her away. "And may the odds be ever in your favor."

I was escorted into the Justice building into a small room. I had 15 minutes for visitors. We had a much longer time for visiting than the other districts, because the Capitol favored us. Glimmer burst into the room, followed by Gloss. "Cato!" she said, pulling me into a hug. "What if you die? I don't want to live without you."

"You won't have to," said Gloss. Glimmer and I looked up at him in confusion. "There's a plan. The Rebellion is getting big now. There's lots of people involved. Especially people in 12 and 11, as well as 1, 4, and even 2. There's lots of angry people out there and they want to take a stand."

"So what are you saying?" I asked. "What's the plan?"

"At some point during the Games you and Katniss and Peeta will be removed from the Arena, along with the other tributes who are in the Rebellion. We have it all planned out. Johanna Mason is volunteering for 4 and Finnick Odair. Brutus and Enobaria are going to be involved, from District 2. And Mags, Beetee and Wiress. You probably know of them from previous Games. Katniss and Peeta will most likely be chosen, if not Haymitch."

"How are you going to get us out?" I demanded.

"Look, we're doing the best we can here… One of the tributes will find a way to blow up the Arena, so that the force fields go down. Form an alliance during the Games and stay alive. I'm your mentor, so I'll tell you more on the way to the Capitol."

"What about me?" Glimmer whined.

"Someone will come for you. A car will pick you up and take you to board a hovercraft. It will take you to District 13. It's safe there."

"District 13? Wasn't it destroyed?" I asked.

"It was. But they've built a new society, except it's underground," Gloss explained.

I put my hands on Glimmer's shoulders. "I'll see you as soon as I can. Just stay strong for me. I love you, Glim. And don't you ever forget that." I looked at the ring that she wore on her finger. "As soon as I get back, I want you to marry me."

"Okay," she said and wrapped her arms around me. "I love you. Don't die on me."

"I won't. I promise."

* * *

**Omg! Wasn't that juicy? The next chapter will be somewhat like the book. District 12 will be bombed, but I'm not going to tell you who will make it out alive because I want you to suffer and squirm while you wonder what will happen. Maybe I'm an evil person for that, but it's for your own good. Maybe I'm a little bit crazy, but that's okay cause I'm Lola and I know it lol :)  
**

**Okay, I'll shutup now.  
**

**~LolaEstheim  
**


	2. The Hanging Tree

**Just to let you guys know, Cato is unfortunately not in this chapter. It's focused on District 12, and it's starring Prim and Rory :)**

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Meanwhile, in District 12...

Rory and Prim were walking side by side to the woods. They were both 13 years old now. It had been a few months since Gale died. Since then, nothing had been the same. Rory and his family had barely been getting by without him, but his mother had remarried, so things were somewhat better.

Before Gale died, he started teaching his younger brother how to hunt. Rory knew a little. Enough to catch animals in snares. He was even teaching Prim. Well, mostly she'd sit and watch. He guessed that she didn't want to break a nail or anything. But Rory didn't mind. He enjoyed her company. They weren't official or anything, but he knew they were meant to be. They'd liked each other for ages, but they wouldn't admit it to each other.

As they got to the electric fence, Rory checked for the low buzz it would normally give off. Thankfully, it wasn't on. "Hey, what's that? In the sky," Prim said, pointing to a hovercraft in the air. Something dropped out of it, causing an explosion in the distance. They heard screams and yells coming from all over. "No!" cried Prim. She tried to run toward the explosions, but Rory grabbed her arm before she could go any further.

"You can't go," Rory said. "If you go, then I'll have to go with you. I don't want to die. We have to go into the woods now."

"But what about our parents? And friends?" she asked, starting to cry. Prim was known for crying. It gave Rory an excuse to try to comfort her in a hug.

Rory shook his head. "We'll both die," he heard another explosion, which sounded even closer this time, "if we go back. Get through the gate, Prim!" Reluctantly, she proceeded to slip through the gate, as did Rory. They ran deeper and deeper into the woods, hearing screams and chaos behind them. They ran until they were exhausted.

Prim plopped down into the grass,with a ruddy face, stained with tears. Rory sat next to her quietly. He wasn't exactly sure what he should say. He sat and wondered if his family was okay. He doubted it, even though he wished it were true. Why was their district being bombed anyway? He wanted to know. He wanted to cry too, like Prim was doing, but the tears wouldn't come.

He noticed Prim stop crying and looked over at her with concern. "Are you... okay?" he said nervously.

"No," she said. "But I will be. I just hope that Katniss will win again, at least."

"At least you have someone," he said. "I don't have any family left."

She gave a small smile and said, "You still have me." Then she kissed his cheek. Rory smiled at that. But he wanted a real kiss, so he slowly leaned in to kiss her. She let his lips press against hers until she pulled away with a grin.

Even though things were falling apart, they still had each other. Rory just had to find a way to help them survive. There was no guarantee that they'd live in the woods and live happily ever after. "Do you see that tree over there?" Prim asked, pointing to a tree near the lake. She stood up. "That's the Hanging Tree... My dad used to sing that song to me and Katniss."

Rory furrowed his brows in confusion. he'd never heard of it. Prim frowned and said, "His grandparents both killed themselves and left his father to fend for himself."

"Can you sing it?"

"Okay," she said and looked down into the grass. She sat back down. "Are you, are you coming to the tree where they strung up a man they say murdered three? Strange things did happen here. No stranger would it be if we met up at midnight in the hanging tree," she continued. "Are you, are you coming to the tree where the dead man called out for his love to flee? Strange things did happen here. No stranger would it be if we met up at midnight in the hanging tree."

Rory remembered the song now. Prim's father had sang it to the both of them before he died. "Are you, are you coming to the tree where I told you to run so we'd both be free? Strange things did happen here. No stranger would it be if we met up at midnight in the hanging tree."

Prim smiled again and finished, "Are you, are you coming to the tree? Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me. Strange things did happen here. No stranger would it be if we met up at midnight in the hanging tree."

"I didn't know that you could sing."

"You never asked."

Rory got up and helped Prim to her feet. "There's a house over there. Me and Gale used to sleep there at night if the gate was on when we tried to leave."

"Okay," Prim said, brushing off her dress as she followed behind him. Suddenly, they saw another hovercraft, which was directly over them. Rory gasped. "Run!" he said, pushing Prim forward. Prim, being the clumsy girl she was, tripped on a rock or something slowing them down. The hovercraft landed. They were spotted and trapped. They'd die for sure, so they didn't even bother trying to run.

To their surprise, Haymitch stepped off of the hovercraft with an urgent look on his face. "Kids! Get in here! We're taking you to District 13. It's safe there," he said, waving them over. Rory and Prim went closer.

Rory narrowed his eyes. "Why should we trust you?"

Haymitch rolled his eyes and put his hand on his forehead. "Because you two will die out here in the woods eventually. I got her sister out of the Games alive once before, didn't I?"

Rory's face softened, coming to the realization that this man had a point. Prim nodded, silently telling him that we could trust him and that they'd be better off going with him. Rory and Prim stepped in front of Haymitch, boarding the ship. He led them to some seats, where they saw many older people that neither had seen before. "What's going on?" asked Prim as the hovercraft rose in the air.

"It's a long story," said Haymitch, opening up a bottle of alcohol and pouring it into a cup. "You'll find out soon enough." Prim sat back in her seat next to Rory, defeated.

Rory looked out the window to find that their district was in flames and ruin. Prim gasped in despair. Their whole lives had been down there and now it was completely destroyed. "Is anyone... alive down there?" asked Rory.

"I doubt it," said Haymitch nonchalantly. "We'll check for survivors first thing in the morning, once the fires have died down and we're not being watched."

Rory felt so many emotions all at once. He could hardly take it. He wanted to scream, to cry, to punch something, anything. He wondered what was happening with the Games. Had they already started? Could Katniss win again? Would anyone be alive back in their destroyed district? Why would anyone want to kill thousands of people? Rory couldn't understand. He looked at Prim, who placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a solemn smile. There were no words that needed to be said.

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**How'd you like? Don't worry. There will be a new chapter with Cato and/or Glimmer in it :) Have a great night guys. And I'll try to update soon! Leave me a nice review, will you?**

**~Lola Estheim**


	3. Pray for Me

**I'm sorry I haven't updated in like forever, but I'm in the middle of doing college apps. Senior year=STRESS! But I'll try to update as much as I can without completely jeopardizing my grades. I'm just terrified of what I probably got on my psychology quiz *sigh* But anyway, enough about me. Read on!**

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**GLIMMER'S POV**

I saw two little kids get on the hovercraft. One was Katniss' little sister, Prim. Katniss had told me about her before. The other boy, around her age, I didn't know. They looked terribly lonely and Haymitch wasn't exactly making them feel welcome. She sat down next to them and introduced herself. "I'm Glimmer. What are your names?" I asked, smiling.

"I'm Rory," said the boy. He turned to Prim, who didn't look like she was ready to do any talking. "And this is my… friend, Prim."

There was silence for a few seconds. "We'll be in District 13 soon, okay? They'll explain everything. Your sister is going to be okay… And so are Peeta and Cato. There's a plan to get them out of the Arena alive."

"How do you know it'll work?" asked Rory, raising his eyebrows.

I frowned. "Don't doubt it. Just pray that it does."

"Pray to who? I don't believe there's a God."

"You don't need to believe in a God to pray, Rory."

* * *

**RORY'S POV**

Everything was weird in District 13. They made us put on ugly grey clothes and fed us weird mush. And it was barely enough to fill me up. Who knows when the last time I'd eaten was. Prim ate too, but she looked as if she would throw it all up if she moved. "Are you okay, Prim?"

"No. But I'll be okay. I just need some sleep," she replied. Everyone in District 13 was on a strict schedule, but weren't included. We could come and go as we pleased, as long as we didn't disturb the peace. Next week, however, we'd be going to school just like the rest of the kids. I noticed that there weren't many kids here at all. Most were slightly older than us.

I went to my room with Prim following behind me. I shared a room with a boy named Caden, who was fourteen. The small screen was on, showing the Games. The countdown was starting. I spotted Katniss, Peeta, and Cato. I hoped that whatever plan they had going would work. I prayed, just like Glimmer had suggested earlier.

* * *

**CATO'S POV**

As the countdown began, I kept thinking of Glimmer. I had to get back to her. If the plan worked out well, I would see her soon enough. The countdown was over. I dashed toward the island where the Cornucopia was located.

Katniss, Peeta, and I had an alliance with Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4. We had eight people on our side, who were all part of the Rebellion in some way. We just needed to make sure that we'd all protect each other so we could get out alive.

I dove into the water headfirst swimming as fast as I could. I climbed onto land, blinking water out of my eyes. I dashed for the weapons, grabbing my favorite, the machete and grabbed a few small knives, along with a sword. Thankfully, Clove had taught me how to throw about a year ago.

I slashed the tributes from District 9 without a problem, sinking the blades in deep enough to kill. Blood splattered on my shirt as I pulled the blades out of their bodies, which landed on the grass. I heard a familiar scream. I turned to find that Brutus had just been stabbed. A small whimper escaped from my lips. He'd been my mentor, just last year. We hadn't been close, but it still hurt.

Everyone was fighting, except my allies. I searched for them within the bloodbath. They'd gotten their supplies already and were urging me to catch up. I sprinted to the small island's edge. Everyone swam across to the other side of the Arena.

We went deeper into the rainforest and found a spot to rest. I panted, out of exhaustion. "Who's left?"

"There were seven before we swam over here," said Finnick, picking at his cuticles. "The cannon hasn't sounded since then." The cannon sounded once more.

"Make that six," said Peeta, looking up at the sky in a daze. Katniss said, "We should look for some water." Peeta snapped out of it and nodded at her suggestion.

"There's gotta be fresh water around here somewhere," I said. Then I took authority, one thing I was good at. "We should split up. Katniss and Peeta, stay together," I added, giving Katniss a discreet wink of the eye. She responded by blushing, just slightly before going off deeper into the rainforest. Just as I was about to head off on my own, Johanna tapped me from behind.

"I'm coming with you," she said, stepping in front of me. I raised my eyebrows and crossed my arms.

"Oh yeah?" I asked. "Why's that?"

She turned to me and rolled her eyes so that I could see. "Because it's dangerous to go alone. We don't know what tributes made it to this side."

"I can handle myself," I said coldly. "Can you?" I started walking ahead, not giving her an ample amount of time to muster a response. Behind me, I heard her let out an aggravated groan before hearing her footsteps following me. Johanna had a bad attitude, which would be a problem. I had an attitude of my own, but I suppressed it so that we'd all get out alive without any further complications.

* * *

"Tick tock, tick tock," I heard Wiress say, loud enough for everyone to hear. I was trying to sleep. I could use as much of it as possible. Wiress and Enobaria were keeping watch.

"Will someone shut her up?" demanded Johanna, who was sleeping next to Katniss. I heard her sit up. "Just leave her alone, will you?"

"How can anyone sleep with her saying 'tick tock' every five seconds?" Johanna asked, venom dripping with every word.

"Then maybe _you_ should keep watch," Katniss said. She yawned and laid back down in her place, with Peeta close by.

"Fine," Johanna snapped. "Maybe I will." Then it was quiet enough so that I could drift back to sleep.

A few hours later, I was shaken awake by Katniss. I reached for my machete, but I realized it was only her. I noticed the wild eyed look on her face. "Sorry about that," I said. "I'm not going to kill you or anything. I'm just nervous."

She shot me a look of disbelief. "A little?" she asked. She stood up and reached her hand out for me. "Come on, it's our turn to keep watch."

Johanna plopped down into the spot she was in before. "It's about time. I've been fighting sleep for hours."

I took Katniss' hand and stood up, following her to a tree. We leaned against it. Finnick was a few trees away, guarding that area. He was toying with his trident. He was able to get it from the Cornucopia. "So you proposed to Glimmer, huh?" she asked suddenly.

"Yeah," I said. "Life's too short, you know? Enjoy it while you can."

"I've been thinking about what you said, almost a year ago. About me telling Peeta how I feel about him…"

"Really?" I asked, raising my eyebrow. "And have you figured it out yet?"

"Yes," she said. "He loves me. I know he does. And I do too." She smiled. "I guess we're all in love now."

"Tick tock, tick tock," mumbled Wiress in her sleep. Katniss looked up at the sky, staring intently. It was still dark. She looked at me as if she'd just realized something. "Tick tock? Tick tock… Cato, the Arena's set up like a clock!"

I was bewildered. The Arena? A clock? "What does that mean?"

"I don't know," she admitted, slumping against the tree.

Then, I heard someone screaming. Finnick shot up, looking rather distressed. "Annie?" he called. Then he said lower, "My Annie." He started to take off, but I stopped him, blocking the way. "What are you doing?" he snapped, trying to shove past me.

I shook my head. "Don't try to go out there. It's not her. It's part of the Games. They're just trying to torture us."

"You're right," he said, falling to his knees. I touched his shoulder, letting him know that we'd be okay. "Cato! Cato!" I heard a whisper in Clove's voice. I turned around quickly, nearly snapping my own neck in the process. _It's not real_, I told myself. _It's just the Games._ It was like he was having his dreams again—in the form of nightmares.

Just when I was starting to get over Clove's death, the guilt was enough to smack me in the face with. I felt horrible. I sunk to my knees directly in front of Finnick, who was too busy staring at the ground. This was too much to handle. How much longer would this go on? Then I heard Glimmer's voice, then Prim's, and so on. I hated this. I hated the Capitol. I hated President Snow. This was going to end, soon enough.


	4. Living Nightmare

**GLIMMER POV**

I didn't like the way that Johanna was treating everyone. She was such a bitch. Not sometimes, but all of the time. For no good reason. I wished that I could be there so that I could give her a piece of my mind.

I also didn't like the way she was staring at Cato, like he was a piece of meat. I couldn't tell whether she was plotting to kill him or if she thought he was attractive. She was 21 years old. She was too old for Cato. He was already 18. I mean, I guess the difference wasn't that bad. But I had nothing to worry about. He loved _me_, not her.

I sat with Prim and Rory, watching Johanna and the love of my life arguing on the screen. I'd been spending a lot of time with them. I supposed they looked up to me, as a motherly figure, since both of their mothers were dead. My parents were dead too, killed by President Snow. I knew what basically having no one left felt like."Where the hell are you going?" Cato demanded.

"You don't tell me what to do," Johanna hissed.

He narrowed his eyes at her. He looked like he was ready to snap. Like he'd snap her neck on the spot, like he had a year ago. He had that look in his eyes, but I wasn't there to calm him down. I didn't know what he was about to do.

He glared at her for two seconds or so. "If you want to get yourself killed, then be my guest," he said icily. "Where do you think you're going without a weapon, 7?"

She snatched her axe off of the ground and continued into the night without another word. Cato yelled in frustration, picking up his machete before stabbing an innocent tree with it.

* * *

**CATO POV**

I'd never felt so disrespected in my life. I couldn't stand Johanna. She was a nightmare. Everyone was already stressed as it was. We'd already lost Cashmere and Wiress to other tributes, whom I killed in turn. I figured Johanna was, in a way, relieved that she'd no longer have to hear her say, "Tick tock. Tick tock." Though if it hadn't been for Wiress, we never would've realized that the Arena was designed like a clock. More of us would probably be dead, I realized. I wondered how Gloss felt about losing his sister. I felt awful about it, which is why I was the first person to jump at avenging their deaths. Besides, I had a lot of anger bubbled up inside me anyway.

Within a few minutes, the cannon fired once. Then I heard screaming. Johanna's screaming to be exact. Then that's when we saw her come into view, followed by some strange white fog. "Run!" she shouted. Everyone scrambled to grab all of the supplies and weapons. We made it away from the fog just in time. But Mags was slow. Too slow. She fell and could barely get up. Finnick rushed to her aid, followed by Peeta. Peeta was exposed to the fog, making him go limp. I ran to him, throwing him over my shoulders and continued to run.

Mags fell again. "Just leave me," she told Finnick. "It's okay."

I knew that it was hard for him because when he finally caught up to me, I saw tears in his eyes. The cannon boomed. Once for Mags and another time for some other tribute that wasn't with us. They must've gotten caught in the fog too.

We got to safety a moment or so later, after the fog no longer pursued us. I put Peeta down in exhaustion. I was strong, but Peeta was still sort of heavy. I panted, still catching my breath. Then Johanna came toward me. "What do _you_ want?" I snapped at her.

She crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. "Nothing at all," she started walking away. "Not yet," I heard her mumble. Did she like me or something? Is that why she always seemed to want to pick a fight with me? If she wasn't fighting with me, then she was fighting with Katniss. To be honest, I wouldn't mind feeding her to the mutts. I mean, what did she have to contribute but a nasty attitude and misery for us all?

Finnick looked more shaken than usual. He'd been that way since the day we'd heard the screams. "You okay, man?" I asked.

"No," he admitted. "That voice we heard… that was Annie."

"Annie?"

"The woman I love."

"I'm sorry," I said. "But she's okay. She's safe. Isn't she?"

"Yes. But what if I end up getting killed? I just feel like since we've been in the Arena, that everything has been going terribly wrong. It's so overwhelming."

"I get it. I have Glimmer to get back to. I know what it's like to have your doubts. Shit, I've been in these Games twice, back to back. Except this time she's safe. I'm grateful for that. You should be too."

"You're right," he said, fighting back tears. "It's just difficult. I'm supposed to be strong. But I can't be that guy."

Peeta cut in. "You're not _supposed_ to be anything, Finnick. You're who you allow yourself to be. Having feelings and expressing them doesn't make you weak. In fact, it can make you stronger."

I continued. "He's right. I've completely changed from who I was a year ago. I guess you can say that I'm 'softer' now," I said and laughed. That got a smile out of Finnick, even if it was tiny. "I used to be terrible. Because of the way I was brought up. Training at the Academy all those years made me kinda crazy, I guess. It made all of us kinda crazy. Me, Glimmer, Cashmere, Gloss… even Marvel and… Clove."

"Do you ever miss her?" Finnick asked. "Clove?"

That was a question I didn't expect to be brought up. I never talked to anyone about Clove. I wasn't sure if I wanted to start now. "I used to have these nightmares about her. I think it was because I felt guilty about letting her die. I was in the bushes when Tresh killed her. But I did nothing. I didn't protect her. I protected Glimmer instead, because I love her."

Finnick and Peeta both smiled. So did I. The Arena didn't get too many smiles out of you if you didn't have some sort of alliance, which was understandable. Why would you have any reason to laugh if you were on your own?

* * *

**GLIMMER POV**

I smiled as Cato said those three words. Even though they weren't said directly to me, it made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. He still loved me, despite everything with Gleam. He nearly ruined my whole relationship. _Like I'd actually take him back after that_, I thought. I'd worked too hard on my relationship with Cato to throw it all away. I mean, just a year ago we were quite literally fighting for love. If it wasn't for love, we wouldn't be where we were today. We'd probably both be dead. I knew that I couldn't live without him and that he couldn't live without me in his presence.

I found out that I was pregnant, for real this time, from the doctors in District 13. I was about two months along. I'd been wondering why my stomach looked the way it did. I was still small, but my stomach had a small bump. I was excited and I knew that Cato would be excited too, once he came back to me.

I checked my arm for my schedule. Apparently, there was a meeting. I sighed and went to the meeting room. Everyone, who was involved in the Uprising, was there. "What's going on?" I asked Coin.

She rolled her eyes. She didn't seem to like me at all. She didn't even bother to answer my question. People always liked me. The girls back at the Academy pretended to hate me, but they couldn't no matter how hard they tried. Most of them were just jealous because Gleam and I were an item at the time.

Everyone seemed to be in the room, sitting in designated seats. Prim and Rory weren't here, which was understandable since they were too young. They hardly understood anything as it was. "The mission will be carried out in approximately one hour. Those of you who are going, meet back here in an hour and we will board the hovercraft. We will rescue the tributes and bring them back here to safety. Then we will carry on to Phase Two."

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**How'd you like this chapter? Was it satisfying? I think it was okay. But I'm slowly starting to get writer's block. Blah. Any suggestions? I'll take prompts in exchange for the chapter being dedicated to you :)**

**Also, if anyone is interested in Kingdom Hearts and/or Final Fantasy, I intend on writing a crossover fanfiction with several character from each series. How does that sound?  
**


	5. Taking Risks

**CATO POV**

I was running. I always seemed to be running… Running from something… This time I was running from mutts. They looked like monkeys. They tore Blight limb from limb, as well as someone from one of the other districts who'd managed to survive.

It felt like I was in the first Games again. When Glimmer and I were chased by the mutts. I had thought that we'd die for sure, but we made it… And we became the four victors. We made Panem history. It had been all over the news. Everyone had been going insane.

But President Snow, on the other hand, was out to get us… Out to make us suffer… Out to kill us like he did our parents, and our friends. But, of course, he'd kill us slowly… Make us die a harsh, painful, and agonizing death. He thought that we made a fool of him.

He is a fool. He doesn't know what love is. He doesn't know how it feels to love someone and to be willing to die for that person, just so that they'd have a chance to live. He didn't know what that was like. _And he never will_, I thought. _Not as long as I'm breathing_. I wanted to kill him myself… I wanted to wrap my hands around his neck, watch his face grow pale, and have him beg for mercy. I would show him no mercy. He didn't deserve it, not after he'd threatened me and my friends… And the woman I loved.

I just wanted to get back to her as soon as I could. When I did, I'd marry her right away. I yearned to hold her and touch her, telling her how much I loved her.

Peeta and Katniss ran at both sides of me, with Enobaria and Finnick running directly behind. The others were attempting to help blow up the Arena, either that, or they'd been shredded to pieces by the mutts. The wind whipped through my short blonde hair as I zoomed toward the sea. "Let's get to the Cornucopia," said Katniss loud enough for me to hear. "Maybe the mutts can't cross the water!"

"To the Cornucopia!" I shouted behind me. I jumped into the water with a splash, treading water as fast as I could. The freezing water sent chills through my whole body. I was tired about halfway there, but this was a matter of life or death. I turned to find that the mutts were in the water, attempting to swim. They were slow, but the fact of the matter was that they would be coming for us sooner or later. _Hurry and blow this place up_, I thought wildly, hoping that my thought would somehow reach Beetee's mind.

Instantly, as if on my command, I heard a deafening explosion. It scared the crap out of me, making me flinch. I silently thanked Beetee and continued to swim toward shore. The waves were starting to get more difficult to swim through. Finnick, who had already gotten to the island before anyone else, helped me out of the water. His eyes widened. "There's a tidal wave coming. We gotta get to the top of the Cornucopia," he said urgently. "Hopefully they'll come get us before it's too late."

"They will," I said confidently, as we pulled Katniss, Enobaria, and Peeta onto the small island. We climbed up the sides of the Cornucopia as the water rose higher and higher. I stood on the top and saw someone swimming in the opposite direction of the mutts, who could no longer swim. They appeared to be drowning. I guess mutts couldn't withstand the immense power of tidal waves.

She was struggling to swim. It was Johanna, the girl that seemed to hate me. I'm not sure why, but I jumped in after her. The waves were fierce and suddenly I regret jumped in. "Cato!" cried Finnick from the top. I heard him splash in after me. I struggled as I swam to Johanna, who had just gotten knocked under by a huge wave, which pushed me back to where Finnick was swimming. "You idiot! Taking on tidal waves? I'm supposed to protect you! How am I supposed to do that if you risk your life?"

But I wasn't listening. I started swimming toward Johanna again, despite the water in my eyes that blurred my vision. "Johanna!" I yelled, as she went under again. This time she didn't come back up. My heart dropped. I took a deep breath and dove under, with Finnick trying to catch up to me. "Cato! Come back!"

I saw her motionless body falling under the dark water. I swam to her and grabbed her body, then brought us both to the surface. Finnick looked at me wild eyed. I gasped for air and all of us got knocked over by a wave, that threatened to bring us all under. Finnick grabbed me by the arm, while I had Johanna by hers. Together, well not Johanna obviously, we managed to get back to the Cornucopia. The others helped us up onto our feet.

I felt Johanna's pulse. I didn't feel anything. Finnick gave her mouth to mouth, but it didn't work. I hadn't gotten to her in time. It was my fault that she was dead. _All my fault_, I thought. Then she squirmed and choked, coughing up salt water.

"Johanna?" I called, hovering over her. She blinked and looked up at me for a few seconds. Then she narrowed her eyes at me, ignoring Finnick's question completely.

"Why did you come for me?" she asked coldly.

"I couldn't let you stand here to watch you drown. I knew that you couldn't handle it," I said.

"You shouldn't have come for me. You should've just let me die," she said.

"Why?"

"Because you have someone to go back home to," she said, her expression softening. "There's no one left that I love." I heard the humming of a hovercraft coming toward us. We boarded, with Finnick and I carrying Johanna.

I took a seat next to Peeta, while Katniss and Johanna went into some unknown room in the hovercraft. "That was really cool," he said, "what you did for Johanna."

"Thanks. It's just… the whole thing with Clove. I didn't want to sit back and watch anyone else die. It's different when it comes to the other tributes because I don't know them personally. But I know Johanna, at least a little bit," I said.

He nodded in agreement. "You're right," he said. Then he smiled. "I told Katniss that I love her. And she said it back." I smiled. _It's about time_, I thought.

"Do you think it's true?"

"I know it is."

I spotted Haymitch come out of a room in the back. "Where's Glimmer?" I asked, eager to see her.

"She's back in District 13. But we weren't able to rescue the others," he explained. "And Johanna wants to see you, Cato."

"Okay," I said and got up to follow him into a room, where Johanna was lying in a bed. She was pale and her brown eyes looked dull. Haymitch shut the door. "Why do you hate me?" I asked.

"I don't hate you," she said, sounding a bit bored. "It's just that I'm jealous of you."

"Jealous of me?"

"You have someone that loves you. No one loves me. I don't have any friends or family. Snow's killed them all."

My eyes widened. "I had no idea," I said lamely. "He killed my parents too, and Glimmer's and Peeta's. He's trying to kill us. And there's no doubt that he'll kill us now. First, we undermined the Games, then we blew up the Arena… What's next?" That got a laugh out of Johanna. I had no idea that I'd see the day that Johanna Mason laughed in a non sarcastic way. She wasn't so bad after all. At least, not when you got to know her better.

"I'm sorry for being so cruel to you… and the others."

"It's okay."

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**Emotional chapter! Yay!**


	6. Reunited

**Sorry I took so long to update. I've been struggling with the college application process. May the odds be ever in my favor? But I hope that you enjoy this chapter. It's sort of sad, but happy too :)**

* * *

**GLIMMER POV**

One minute Prim, Rory, and I were watching Cato and the others swimming toward the Cornucopia and the next minute there was an explosion. Then the screens turned black. Prim turned to me. "What's happening?" she asked nervously.

"It's part of the plan," I told her. But it bothered me that I couldn't see what was happening. What if one of them got hurt? I wished that Coin had put me on the hovercraft, along with everyone else. But, of course, she'd said no. I wasn't sure if it was because she hated me or if it was because I was pregnant.

I just wanted my Cato back. I wanted to cover him in soft kisses and hold him close. I just wanted him back, in one piece. Him, and Peeta and Katniss… I just wanted my friends back. It hurt me to see the look on Prim's face when the screen shut off. She was worried about her sister, I knew. I was worried about them all.

I excused myself and walked back and forth in the hallways, not sure of what else to do with myself. Dinner was in a few minutes, but I wasn't sure if I'd be able to eat anything. Hell, who was I kidding? They were starving all of us in this place. They gave me a bit extra since I was with child, but it didn't do much.

It was nothing compared to District 1, where I could eat whenever I wanted. There weren't any stores to buy cookies from here, and I _really_ wanted something sweet.

"Are you worried about Cato?" I heard a voice ask. I looked up to find my roommate, Kalia. She stood in front of me, faced twisted with concern. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled back into a bun. I shook my head yes. "They're all gonna be fine. C'mon. Let's go to the cafeteria. You must be starved."

Reluctantly, I followed behind her. Most people were seated already, waiting for the gooey mush, which they called food, to be served. Food was spooned onto my tray. I sipped on my water, not quite ready to eat yet. I smiled at Prim and Rory as they walked past my table, joining some slightly older kids at a table nearby.

There was a lot of tension and worry in the air. Everyone was anticipating the return of our heroes. I could only imagine how many husbands and older brothers risked their lives to take part in this ever so dangerous scheme.

* * *

**JOHANNA POV**

I still couldn't understand why Cato had come back for me, especially after how evil I was to him. I admired him, for his bravery. There was no way that I would've been able to get through those waves myself. I was a decent swimmer, but I was no Finnick. If it hadn't been for Finnick, Cato and I both might have died. I was grateful to be alive but, to be honest, I probably would be better off dead.

At least Cato had Glimmer. Peeta and Katniss already had each other. Finnick had someone… But me? No one. All I had was a fantasy, which would never come true.

I looked at him as he gazed out of the window. We'd be landing in District 13 in a few minutes. By the look on his face, I knew that he was thinking about. Glimmer, of course. There was an expression of longing in his eyes.

I liked Cato, I had to admit. There was no denying that. Every time I looked at him, I got butterflies in my stomach. I'd never tell anyone my secret. Why should I even bother, if it would never happen? I silently sighed to myself. Maybe, if I was lucky, I wouldn't survive Phase Two… Whatever Phase Two was.

The hovercraft stopped moving. Cato and the others jumped up, eager to see what would happen next. I, on the other hand, stayed seated. Haymitch announced that we could get off of the hovercraft, but I still didn't move. For some reason, I wanted to cry.

Cato hurried off of the hovercraft, behind Peeta and Finnick. Then when I looked up, he was standing a few feet away from me. "Come on," he said, reaching out a hand. I grabbed onto him, as he effortlessly pulled me up out of my seat. It was hard to get my mind off of him, being that he always seemed to be around.

Was it wrong for me to have feelings for him? After all, he was three years younger than I was. I guessed that I was a bit of a cougar. It wasn't my fault. It was my heart's fault.

When I stepped off of the hovercraft, there was a huge crowd, waiting. I saw a familiar face. _No_, I thought. _It's impossible_. But the warm eyes of hazel blazed through my body. I knew those eyes from anywhere. My eyes widened at the thought. But how? How could he be here, of all places to be? It was unreal.

I moved closer to him, as he stared in confusion and disbelief. He looked as if he were paralyzed. "Ambrose?" I asked, still in shock. He didn't respond, but his eyes softened as he pulled me in for a hug. "It's really you." Tears started falling down my face.

"It's Miles now," he said. He breathed into my shoulder length brown hair. "It's been so long."

"I thought you were dead," I said, getting angry. "How could you do this to me? To _everyone_?"

"Snow threatened me," he said. "What was I supposed to do? Let him kill me himself? I had no one to turn to. It was either disappear or die."

"I just…" I started, but couldn't finish. He released me, looking into my eyes. "It's been five years."

"I didn't want to leave. You were my best friend, my only friend. I missed you so much," he said, starting to cry himself. I analyzed his features. He wasn't as skinny as he once was. He'd grown a bit of facial hair. His eyes were still big and beautiful, lips full and slightly pink. He was beautiful. I'd always looked to him as an older brother back in District 7, being that he was two years older. But now… it was different.

He pulled me in for another hug. Oh, how I'd missed those. "Where can we get some food around here, _Miles_?" He shot me a playful glare. Not much had changed about him. I had so much to tell him. I'd missed him so much. Ambrose, well… Miles was the one person I had left that I loved.

* * *

**CATO POV**

I looked around the crowd to find a familiar blonde head of hair. Then I saw her, smiling at me. "Cato!" she cried, running toward me.

"Glim!" I said, eyes widening in excitement. I lifted her up into the air and spun her around, her fingers laced together behind my neck. I kissed her before she could say anything. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said. Then she planted another kiss on my lips. "I have some news for you."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"I'm pregnant. And this time, I'm sure."

"That's amazing," I said, relieved that it wasn't a false alarm this time. I'd gotten so excited last time, only to be let down.

"Are you happy?"

"Of course I am. I'll do _anything_ for you… and our baby," I said firmly, letting her know that I was being serious with her. "As soon as this Rebellion is over, I'm yours."

She smiled, showing her white teeth. I loved her smile. Words couldn't describe how much I loved her.

* * *

**KATNISS POV**

"Katniss!" I heard Prim call. Rory came running, not too far behind my sister. I opened my arms, in anticipation. Prim flung herself into my arms, as well as Rory.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "Where's Mom? And where are your brothers, Rory? And Hazelle?"

My sister and Rory both frowned. What had happened when I was gone? Whatever it was, it didn't seem very good by the looks on their faces.

"District 12 was bombed," Rory blurted out, noticing that Prim wasn't going to say anything. "We barely escaped. We only got away because we were near the woods."

I grabbed both of them, not sure of what else to do. We were all orphans now, motherless children. All we had was each other. I couldn't bring myself to cry. I had to be strong for Prim. I couldn't break down in front of her, and Rory too. He'd lost everyone, except for Prim.

I wondered how things would've been if Gale were still alive. Would he have been able to get away from the bombings? I'd never know.

Peeta came from behind me, placing a warm hand on my shoulder. He gave me a small smile, which comforted me. I let my sister and Rory out of my grip and looked around. I saw Cato spinning Glimmer around. I noticed that Finnick was kissing a woman, who I didn't know. I assumed that it was Annie, his lover. But I noticed Johanna hugging a handsome stranger.

As I looked around me, I noticed that there was love in the air. The room was so filled with emotion, I thought it might explode. I grinned. Maybe we'd all have a happily ever after, after all. That was, after we defeated President Snow and his reign of terror and fear. I, nor will anyone else tremble at his name. Not as long as I was still breathing. Not if I could help it.

* * *

**So what do you think so far? And what do you think of this Miles guy? I know he sort of popped up out of nowhere. But I didn't want Johanna to be all depressed and forever alone. At least, not while everyone else is with their loved ones. Anyways, follow the story and stay tuned for the next chapter. I'll probably be updating again sometime this week. But no promises.**


	7. Aggression

**JOHANNA POV**

Miles sat across from me as I hungrily ate my dinner. I looked up to notice him staring at me. "Aren't you going to eat something?"

He shook his head. "Everyone ate before you guys got back."

"Tell me," I said as I scooped up a spoonful of mashed potatoes. "What happened the night you left?"

"Well I packed some clothes in my backpack, then I set off," he said, his body stiffening. "I didn't—I don't—have a family, so it wasn't like it was hard to get up and leave. I thought about saying good bye to you, but I knew that you wouldn't let me go. I figured that it would be easier to just disappear."

I felt the tears coming again. Since I saw Miles, I'd been an emotional wreck. "You do have family," I said, getting up to throw away my tray. I dumped it in the trash and returned to Miles, whose eyes wandered to mine. "You're like a brother to me."

He stood up and moved closer to me. "I know," he said. He pulled me into his chest and wrapped his arms around me again. "I'm so glad I found you."

"How's life here?" I asked, changing the subject. "Have you met anyone?"

"Life's okay. I'm grateful that they took me in. But I haven't met anyone," he said. "I'm not sure if there's anyone that likes me, as more than a friend. They all look at me as an outsider."

_I don't think you're an outsider_, I told him silently. Out loud I said, "I'm sure you'll find the one eventually." I gave him a sort of solemn smile.

Miles smiled at me, with mischief. "What's on your mind?"

"No one," I said hastily.

He raised his eyebrows as far as they'd go. "I said '_What's_ on your mind," not who… Who were you thinking about?"

"Cato," I admitted. He'd know if I lied to him regardless. It didn't make much sense to try to make something up. "I had a crush on him, but he has Glimmer. I'm sure you already knew that."

He studied me carefully. "You _had_ a crush on him? Why are you using the past tense?"

_Because you're the one I want,_ I said to myself. "It would never work out between us, so I figured that I'd just give up," I said, which wasn't entirely a lie.

He did something I didn't expect him to do. He took my face in his hands, cupping my face and brought his lips down to mine. After a few sweet seconds, he pulled away.

"What was that for?" I asked, mentally in shock. That was the last thing I'd expected him to do. I needed to know why.

"Because I've wanted to do that for five years, Johanna," he said. A smiled formed on his face. I put my arms around his neck, my fingers caressing the short strands of his hair. He looked down to the ground. When he looked up at me again, he was smiling even wider than before. "Besides, I saw you staring at my lips."

I playfully punched him in the side and stood on my toes to kiss him. Though he'd changed his name, his arrogance was still there.

* * *

**CATO POV**

I saw Johanna near the doors making out with some man that I didn't know. Did they know each other? Most likely. Johanna would slit your throat before she let some stranger kiss her. I walked toward her and the stranger. I cleared my throat, making the two break apart immediately. They looked at me, waiting for me to say something. Then I realized that I had a message to deliver. "Sorry to interrupt," I said, as if the situation wasn't awkward enough. "The President of District 13 would like to see us."

"Okay," she said, walking in front of me. I noticed that as we started to walk, the stranger was following.

"What are you doing?" I asked him, annoyed.

He gave a theatrical sigh and showed me his wrist. "Obviously I'm a part of the meeting too," he said. "Or is it just _so_ hard for you to put two and two together?"

I scowled. I balled my fist up, ready to knock his lights out, when Glimmer grabbed onto my arm. My expression softened and I was at ease again. "What's Phase Two going to be?" she asked curiously.

"I don't know anything yet," I said. Glimmer and I trailed behind Johanna and her…friend? Was he more than a friend? I didn't think that Johanna was capable of being romantic with anyone. It just seemed odd. Why was I thinking about that? I shoved the thoughts out of my head and followed the two into a big room.

"Have a seat," a woman, most likely the president, said. There was authority in her voice. In the room sat about thirty to forty people.

Glimmer sat in the seat next to me while, to my dismay, the stranger and Johanna sat directly across from us. I didn't like this guy, whoever he was. I felt disrespected. He didn't know me, and I damn sure didn't know him. What was his deal?

"Good evening," said Coin. "I'm sure that everyone knows very well why I've summoned you here." She cleared her throat and continued. "Congratulations to the four victors for successfully completing Phase One, as well as Johanna Mason, Beetee, Enobaria… " I spaced out as she called out a million other names. There were more people involved in the Rebellion than I'd thought.

"Miles, will you set up the presentation please?" she asked. The stranger stood up and retreated to the front of the room, where he tinkered with a machine. _Miles_, I thought. _Miles, the asshole_. Miles sat back down, rolling his eyes at me. The slideshow began. "The overall goal of Phase Two is to take over President Snow's mansion. We have men in there who are undercover, working in the building. They will signal us and we will move in toward the Capitol," she said matter-of-factly. "We will then bomb the Capitol—"

"But all those people will die!" shouted Katniss, standing up from her seat on the other side of the room. Peeta took her arm, trying to calm her but she wasn't having it. "Is that what this is about? Murdering people who have done nothing wrong?"

Then it was Miles who stood. "Why should we care if they die? Do you think that they care that twenty three people die in the Games basically every year? Do you think they know what true suffering is? How do you think they'd feel if they got threatened by Snow? They don't know what that's like! They don't know what it's like to be personally victimized by Snow or for their families to be killed by him! Why not make them suffer, like all of us have?" argued Miles.

There were sounds of agreement, conflicting with sounds of discord. As much as I hated to admit it, I agreed with Miles one hundred percent. I didn't care who got hurt on the enemy side, as long as Snow was killed… As long as Snow was dead, I'd be content.

"That's enough!" Coin shouted. The room fell silent. "This is the plan. If you don't like the plan, then you may leave." No one dared stand.

There was a silence. It needed to be broken, so I spoke up. I wasn't intimidated by Coin. "So who is going to be the one to kill him?"

She turned to me and smiled. "A little eager, are we? I was going to ask what type of methods we should use... We could torture him by electric chair, hang him up in a tree, put a bullet between his eyes… The possibilities are endless."

"We should send him into the Games," I said. "There's no way he could survive that. We could make sure that he survives until the very end, then we could send mutts after him. They'd tear him limb from limb until there's nothing left."

Coin smiled again. I saw the people around me nodding in agreement. Even Johanna smiled. "That's actually not a bad idea at all, Cato." Glimmer squeezed my hand and smiled her gorgeous smile at me.

"Yeah," said Katniss. I didn't expect her to agree with me. I thought she was still against the idea. "I think that's a good idea. Who else would go in the Games with him?"

"It would be quite comical to watch him squirm in the Arena, with no one to talk to and no one to save him," said Miles. "But I think that we should send children from the Capitol in too. We can do a Reaping, choosing 23 others at random."

"Even better," said Coin. "Now, as for the captives…. The Capitol has a few people from the Arena that didn't make it out alive. We were not able to retrieve them, so tomorrow morning we will send a group to get them back here." She continued, brushing a strand of slick gray hair behind her ear. "Miles will lead this mission. He will act as commander of the unit. I would like for Cato, Peeta, Katniss, Johanna, Finnick, and Enobaria to be a part of this mission."

"Hey!" retorted Glimmer. "What about me?"

Miles rolled his eyes and looked at my fiancée with a bored expression. "Isn't it obvious? No one is pregnant but _you_."

Glimmer opened her mouth to argue but before she could, my face was inches from Miles'. "Don't you talk to her like that!" I shouted, my body filled with rage that I could hardly control.

"Cato, calm down!" Glimmer said, still sitting. She was looking at me, but I refused to meet her gaze. I grabbed Miles and slammed him into the wall. The impact didn't seem to bother him. He actually laughed—in my face.

Then the laugh turned into a smirk. "Have you gone back to childish behavior, Cato? You can't control your emotions… How _pathetic_," he said, taunting me. As I raised a fist to punch him, he stopped me with impossibly quick reflexes. He took my fist in his hand and shoved me backward, sending me flying into a chair. I winced in pain as I hit the hard ground.

Coin looked very annoyed now. I stood up, with Glimmer's help. "Forget it, Cato. You're not going anywhere. You are obviously incapable of controlling yourself, so you are exempt from Phase Two until further notice," said Coin. She addressed the rest of the room. "You're dismissed."

* * *

**Miles reminds me of Jace Wayland from the Mortal Instruments series... Idk if anyone has ever read it. But anyway, what will poor Cato do now that he's exempt from the mission? The horror! You'll see in the next chapter. Tell me what you think. Is there a particular pov that you'd like to see more of in the next chapter? Review! Review! Review!**


	8. Phase Two

**CATO POV**

I couldn't believe that Coin had exempted me from Phase Two. I was furious, beyond measure. _How could she do this to me?_ I thought angrily. In the morning, they were going to carry out the first part of the mission: getting the captives out of the Capitol.

I lay next to Glimmer, who was still awake. I ran my fingers through her hair as we lay together in the dark room. "Cato," she said. "Do you think that Phase Two will work?"

"It may," I said, "or it may not. Either way, it won't be easy. I'm going to try to be on my best behavior so that I can be a part of it. It's just that Miles is so… I don't know. I think I might hate him."

"You don't mean that," she said.

"Maybe not," I said, turning to face her. Her emerald eyes sparkled, even in the dark. I didn't say anything for a long time. "As soon as Snow's dead, I'm gonna marry you. I'm gonna marry you and then I'll finally be happy."

She smiled. "Do you think it'll be a boy or a girl?"

"Well, I hope it's a girl."

"Why?"

"So she can be as beautiful as you," I said. "But if it's a boy, I hope he has my good looks."

Glimmer laughed, then her smile faded. "We'll see," she said. "Maybe one day we'll be able to go back to District 1."

"Maybe," I said, "one day, there won't be any districts… Maybe we'll be able to live wherever we want without a transfer."

"I'd like that," she said. "Then you can be closer to your friends. I want to meet them."

"What about your friends?"

"I didn't have many friends. After Gleam and I started dating, I started losing friends until I had no one left. When Gleam and I broke up, it was kind of like I'd lost my only friend."

* * *

**RORY POV**

The next morning, Prim didn't eat much of her breakfast. I insisted, being that the food portions were ridiculously small. We were from District 12, where being hungry was a common feeling, but still…

"Come on, Prim," I said, pointing at the oatmeal in her bowl. "I know you're nervous about Katniss going on the mission, but you have to eat something. Please."

"Okay," she said and finished up her oatmeal with a few spoonfuls. I smiled and my eyes fell upon her braid, obviously done by her sister.

"Now let's go," Rory said, standing up. "We have classes soon." Living in District 13 wasn't terrible, aside from the ugly clothes and the bite sized food portions. We'd been here almost two weeks and it already felt like home, to me—more than District 12 had ever been.

I learned a lot in my classes. I was able to concentrate on school here, unlike back in District 12. There, it was always a struggle to keep ourselves alive. I never had time to read books and study anything. Not with other siblings around, keeping me busy.

That was one thing I missed most: my family. When Gale died, a part of me died. I was always close to Gale. I wanted to be like him. Brave. I supposed I was brave in my own way, after all I'd been through. I missed my mother too. She'd taken care of us after my father died, even though we'd barely been able to get by.

I hoped that this "plan" that the adults had would work. I hoped it would put an end to the Hunger Games once and for all. My name was in there enough times. I could've been reaped instead of Peeta. Imagine if Katniss hadn't volunteered for Prim. Me and Prim? Tributes? I wouldn't have been able to stand it. I probably would've tried to find a way to kill myself. I'd rather that than have to kill my best friend myself.

I wanted to kiss her again. We hadn't kissed since that day near the Hanging Tree. We hadn't talked about it either. Did she like me? Did she regret the kiss? I could ask her, but I was terrified that I'd be rejected. Rejection was one thing that I couldn't bear. Maybe I'd talk to her about it, someday. But certainly not now.

* * *

**JOHANNA POV**

"This way," said Miles, leading our group onto the hovercraft. I was a little nervous about this part of Phase Two. We were going to rescue captives but, to me, it was risky. Snow wouldn't let us have them back so easily. It would be tricky, but that wasn't going to stop us.

Everyone boarded the hovercraft and we waited for it to take off. When it did, Miles announced that it would be about three hours before we got to the Capitol. He explained the mission again, answering any last minute questions, and finally sat down next to me. "Nervous?" he asked. I nodded. It was sort of true.

"Don't be," he said. "We'll get them out alive. We have some guys in the mansion who are going to get the captives. Then we're going to snatch them up before Snow can wipe his worthless ass."

I laughed, mostly because I could picture Snow wiping his "worthless" ass. It was a strange thought, but I pushed it out of my mind. "Do you usually take charge on missions like this?" I asked.

"No. We've never really had missions until now. There's never been any danger," he said. "But Coin trusts me—more than she trusts the native Thirteeners, so I'm in charge here."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Why were you such an ass to Glimmer yesterday?"

"I don't know. It's Cato that bothers me. I feel like he doesn't deserve her. I feel like he's going to break her heart. Glimmer and I got kind of close, as friends, until Cato got here. We haven't spoken much since. I guess I just kind of lashed out at her. I'll apologize when we get back. But I'm _not_ apologizing to Cato!"

"Fine," I said. "Suit yourself." Then I mumbled under my breath, "I don't understand why they can't get along."

* * *

A little over three hours later, I heard Miles barking orders at someone on a phone. He clicked it shut and said, "We're beginning descent into the Capitol. Everyone, take your stations and get ready for part one of Phase Two."

I took the gun out of the belt around my hips and held it in my hands. I checked to see that it had plenty of pullets and cocked it. Katniss appeared next to me, holding a bowstring with a sheath of arrows strapped across her back. "I guess you're not good with guns, huh?" I asked, looking at her weapon of choice.

She shook her head. "No," she said, "Peeta's better with guns than I am. For some reason, he can fire a gun but he can't shoot an arrow to save his life, or anyone else's."

I laughed as I looked behind me to find Peeta running his fingers across his own gun. The hovercraft came to a stop and the doors opened. "Go!" shouted Miles. Everyone in our group raced out of the hovercraft and into the mansion. I heard citizens of the Capitol screaming from all over. We hadn't done anything—yet—but I assumed that they were afraid of the weapons that everyone was clutching ever so tightly.

A guard appeared from inside, followed by a few others. Before I could aim and fire the enemies hit the ground, already dead from the bullets of my companions. We charged into the mansion, with Miles leading the way. He'd spent most of last night looking the map of President Snow's mansion, analyzing until he knew every turn. It paid off because without him, we'd all be hopelessly lost. We stopped, more guards appearing at the end of the hall. I aimed and shot, sending one of the guards to his grave. "Nice shot," I heard Finnick say from behind me. I grinned as we turned the corner. The captives were there, surrounded by three guards.

"Hold your fire," said Miles, rushing over to them. He whispered a few things to them and then signaled for everyone to come over. The captives all appeared to be unharmed. I couldn't say the same about their mental states though. "Johanna and Finnick, protect Beetee. Get him to the hovercraft."

I nodded and Finnick and I rushed over to grab Finnick. "Are you okay on your feet?" Finnick asked. Beetee nodded. I heard Miles yelling more names and giving more orders, but we had to go before anything terrible happened.

We walked quickly. I wasn't sure if Beetee was capable of running. We made it out of the mansion without any trouble and made it safely onto the hovercraft. The medics took Beetee out of our care and into a room at the back of the hovercraft.

Ten minutes later, everyone was on the hovercraft, except for Miles. "Where's Miles?" I asked Katniss, who was resting her head against the window.

"He was with Peeta," she replied. "Peeta's not back yet either. As she said that, Peeta boarded the hovercraft, dragging a bloody Miles behind him. I rushed over to him and demanded to know what the hell happened.

"There were guards," said Peeta panting, "that attacked us on our way out. They were aiming for me, but I ducked. And it hit Miles in the shoulder."

"Damn it," I said. "Someone get the medics!" I helped Peeta get him onto his feet. He grabbed his shoulder, wincing in pain. He clenched his teeth together and then smiled.

"Everyone did a great job," he said. Then the medics rushed in and took him to the back, leaving behind a trail of blood.

* * *

**Poor Miles. How much blood has he lost? Will he survive? Will Cato and Miles put their differences aside? Will Cato find out about Glim's friendship with Miles? And more importantly, will Cato remain exempted from Phase Two, or was it only temporary? Cliffhanger questions! And they'll be answered by next chapter.**


	9. Happiness

**MILES POV**

To be honest, I thought I was a goner. I thought I was going to die. Even though it wasn't a very big wound, the blood gushed out, and quickly. I thought I'd never be able to see Johanna again. I couldn't imagine not being able to see Johanna. I'd lost her years ago, but I had no intention of losing her again.

The last thing I remembered was being brought back onto the hovercraft by Peeta. I blacked out after that. I didn't dream. I didn't think. My mind was resting. I thought it would rest forever until I heard a familiar voice calling out for me.

"Miles," the voice said. "Miles, can you hear me?" The voice began sounding more desperate. "Miles, please… Please come back."

My eyes fluttered open to find Johanna at my side. Her face was buried into the sheets at my hospital bed; she'd been crying. I lifted my good arm and placed my hand on her shoulder. She immediately lifted her head up to look at me. She put her hand on top of mine, as if she were seeing if it was all just a dream.

"You're alive," she said, wiping her face with her sleeve. "I—I thought you were dead." I said nothing, but I smiled. She hugged me for a long time. When she let me go, I looked at my body. "They were able to stitch up your shoulder and remove the bullets. Luckily, your arm will be able to work normally after it heals. They gave you some morphling for the pain."

I tried moving my shoulder. It didn't hurt at all since I could hardly feel a thing. "How long have I been out for?"

"About four days," she said. "We had to delay the next phase. Coin was actually going to consider letting someone else lead the next mission if you hadn't woken up. She thinks that you should take it easy."

I didn't mind not being a part of the next phase, as long as I was able to see Johanna again. I laced my fingers in hers and stared at her for a few seconds. "Johanna," I said. "I realized that seeing tomorrow isn't guaranteed. I mean, I could have died. And there would've been so many things I never got to say and do."

"I know," she said. "I'm so glad that you're here with me."

I smiled, wider this time. "I love you, Johanna. I always have."

Her mouth opened in surprise, but she smiled and kissed me softly. "I love you too. I realized that when I saw you again."

"I never stopped thinking of you," I said. "I want to marry you. I want to give you babies. I want to buy you gifts and wake up to you every morning. I love you. Marry me. Marry me today… Right now."

"Right now?" she asked, confused. I frowned. Maybe I shouldn't have been too forward. Maybe I should've waited. She gave me a warm smile. "Where do we go to get married?" I took her hand in mine. I wasn't even sure if I could leave the hospital wing, but I didn't care. No medics stopped me on my way out, however.

We ran into Glimmer and Cato in the hallway. "You're alive!" Glimmer said, hugging me. "We were starting to think that you were in a coma. You've been knocked out for days."

"I'm fine," I said. "I feel like I can do _anything_! We're about to get married! Right now!"

"Are you okay?" Glimmer asked, raising her eyebrows. I nodded.

"Why is everyone asking me that?" I asked. "I've never been better. Life isn't promised, you know. Maybe you two should get married too."

"But don't you want to have a ceremony?" Cato asked. Normally, I'd probably come up with a smart ass remark, but I was in the best mood ever.

"We can celebrate after we destroy Snow," my fiancée said. "There's bound to be a big celebration afterward."

"So what do you say?" I said. "Kill two birds with one stone."

"I'm in," said Cato. Glimmer didn't object, so we continued on so that we could all get married.

* * *

**CATO POV**

Glimmer and I were married now, as well as Miles and Johanna. Glimmer was officially Mrs. Forth. My life was complete—well, it would be as soon as our baby was born. We were given a new housing unit, solely for me and my new wife.

I never would've thought that Johanna would be one to get married. But she proved me wrong. I didn't know that she and Miles had known each other beforehand. Glimmer filled me in. She told me that she and Miles had been friends while she was here. She also told me that Miles had apologized to her for how he'd treated her a few days ago.

I didn't get what Johanna saw in Miles. I didn't know why I was so concerned, but it bothered me. He was usually a sarcastic bastard, which I didn't appreciate. Most of the time, I wanted to attack him but that wasn't a very good idea.

Miles hadn't been a jerk to me today, so maybe he wouldn't be a jerk to me tomorrow. Maybe we'd end up getting along. Maybe Miles wasn't so bad. Maybe I should try to get to know him, before I judge him any further.

My thoughts were interrupted when an alarm sounded. Coin's voice filled the room from the loudspeakers. "Everyone, please report to the lower bunkers immediately. This is an emergency." Glimmer looked nervous from the other side of the room. I grabbed her hand and went into the hallway, the alarm blaring in my ears.

I spotted Peeta and Katniss walking our way. "Do you know what's happening?" Peeta asked.

"Keep moving!" he heard Miles' voice say. "Take the stairs!" As we made our way toward the staircase, I turned to Peeta.

"I know no more than you do," I said with a shrug. He and Katniss held hands as they walked down the staircase. Prim and Rory were in front of them. I noticed Prim take Rory's hand too.

It took about ten minutes or so for us to get down the crowded staircase. I was starting to get nervous. What was the emergency? And what reason did we have to come all the way to the bottom levels of District 13?

President Coin was in the middle of the room. A few minutes later, one of the guards whispered something in her ear. Then she started talking. "Attention, District 13!" The room fell silent. "Snow has sent hovercrafts to have us bombed. Luckily, we were able to get a heads up. The Phase will be delayed until further notice. For now, there are living quarters and bathrooms. Please make use of them."

* * *

**GLIMMER POV **

Before anything could be said or done, an explosion went off overhead. It sounded distant, several stories away from where we were. What if one of the explosions were able to reach where we were? What then? We'd all die.

Before I could further plague my mind with negative thoughts, Rory came up to me looking distraught. "Are you okay?" I asked him. He shook his head no. I hugged him. It was as if I was his mother. Of course, his real mother could not be replaced. But I was one of the people he'd come to if he was troubled.

I loved Rory as if he were my own son. I loved Prim too, but she didn't need me; she had Katniss. I wondered where he'd go after all of this was over—if we were able to end things. Part of me wished that he could come to live with Cato and I.

I heard another explosion come from above. "Come on," I said. "You should get some sleep." He didn't protest, instead holding onto my hand as we walked around to find some place for us to sleep. Rory walked between Cato and I. It was almost like we were a family.

We walked past different rooms. Cato pointed out an empty one that had a bunk bed and a single bed. Rory climbed up to the top of the bunk and lay down. Cato lay on the single bed, leaving the bottom of the bunk for me. "Good night," said Cato. I knew that he'd be asleep within seconds.

"Glimmer?" called Rory.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Are you excited to be a mom?"

"Yeah," I said, smiling. "I think so."

"I think you'll make a great mom," said Rory.

"Thanks Rory."

"Thanks for letting me stay with you."

"You're always welcome," I said. "We're all like a big family now." I heard another explosion.

I could almost feel Rory's smile just above me. That was something that made me happy. I loved to see children smile. They deserved to be happy and to be loved. That was something that I'd be able to provide my baby with. I just hoped that I'd live that long.

* * *

**I think that this was a fairly happy chapter. What do YOU think about it? Review or PM me if you'd like to voice your opinion :)**


	10. Will to Fight

**Sorry I took so long to update. School's been so stressful this past week. 6 more months until graduation! Woohoo! **

* * *

**CATO POV**

After a day or so, the bombings stopped. But no one wanted a surprise attack, so we stayed in the bunkers for two more days—just in case.

My time was spent mostly with Glimmer and occasionally Rory. I liked him. He was like the little brother that I'd never had. He even asked me if I'd help him, in his words, "get stronger." I figured it was to impress Prim. He told me about her and how they kissed, several weeks back. I encouraged him to tell her how he felt but I had no idea if he'd actually do it or not.

Glimmer was great. She was so sweet and beautiful. I loved looking at the ring on her finger. It looked perfect. I was so happy that she was now mine. I couldn't wait for our baby to be born, but I was still scared. _How am I supposed to be a good father?_ _I am a murderer after all_, I thought, after thinking about all of the lives I'd taken back in the Games.

I suddenly thought of Clove and a wave of anxiety hit me. I thought about the nightmares. I hadn't had them in a long time, but they were still fresh in my memory as if it had happened yesterday.

I wondered what happened after a person died. Was there a Heaven? A Hell? A blackened abyss? Or was there nothing at all? I wondered what would've happened if I had been killed in the Games? I never would have met my son or daughter. Glimmer would've been left to take care of the baby alone, with the engagement ring on her finger. Would she have taken it off? Fallen in love again? The thoughts made me sad, so I pushed them out of my mind.

A few of us had volunteered to go up and assess the damage. I, along with Miles, Finnick, and Peeta, went. The damage had hit the top levels the hardest. The school had been destroyed, desks in shambles and books in ashes. Some of the dorms had been destroyed, as well as the cafeteria and some of the meeting rooms. Most of the dorms, however, were in decent condition. "Do you think we'll be able to finish up the Phase?" Peeta asked.

I gave him a look that said of-course-we-will. "If Coin says no, then I'll go slit his throat myself!"

Miles slapped my shoulder. "Whoa there, pretty boy. You're just asking to get yourself killed."

I smirked. "I'm glad you think I'm pretty," I said arrogantly.

He glared at me, but then his expression softened and he shook his head with a smile. "I'm glad you have such a wonderful sense of humor."

Suddenly, we heard footsteps. No one was supposed to be up here but us. I stepped forward. "Who's there?" I called.

"It's me," the voice said. "Gloss." He appeared from around the corner. "I heard what happened and I came here as soon as possible. Is everyone all right? I—"

"Everyone's fine," said Miles, cutting him off. "As you can see, the whole District wasn't destroyed."

Gloss didn't acknowledge Miles' rudeness. "I need to talk to Coin. There's been a lot going on in the districts the past few days."

"This way," I said, leading the way. Miles stayed in the back. He wasn't so rude to me anymore, but I could tell that he wasn't very good at warming up to new people. We went back down to the bunkers, where Coin was anxiously awaiting our report. "The top levels closest to the ground were hit pretty badly. We lost the cafeteria, the school, a few dorms, and meeting rooms. But the hovercrafts and weapons room is fine, as well as everything else. We found Gloss. He says that a lot's been going on since we've been down here."

Gloss stepped forward, shaking Coin's hand. "President Coin," he said, greeting her. "May I speak with you in private?" She nodded and Gloss followed her into a room, shutting the door.

"What do you think is going to happen now?" I asked no one in particular.

"It's going to take a few days to recover from the attack," said Finnick.

"My guess," said Miles, "is that the next couple of days will be spent rebuilding and getting the supplies necessary for the next Phase."

"This is taking too long," I grumbled. I ran my fingers through my short blonde hair.

"Maybe it'll be more effective this way… the Phase, I mean," said Peeta. "Snow will probably start thinking that we've given up if don't attack immediately. He'd expect that."

I smirked. "That way, we'll catch him off guard."

Miles ran his finger across his chin, with a smirk nearly identical to my own. "Exactly."

* * *

**GLIMMER POV**

Everyone was a little shaken after the bombings on our District. The children were terrified. None of them seemed to have recovered fully from the attack. I'll admit that I was afraid they'd come back. But after Cato told me the theory that Peeta had come up with, I felt a little better.

The next week or so was spent repairing the damages. Everyone's work was suspended, except for those working with the food, of course. Luckily, the gardens were untouched during the attack.

The children didn't have to go to school either, though technically the school had been destroyed. Rory told me that he didn't mind at all. He said that history was getting tedious. I didn't blame him. Back at the Academy—when we weren't learning to kill—my teachers bored me to death about Panem's history and how it came to be what it is today and blah blah blah.

I was about two and a half months pregnant now. I had about six more months to go until I could hold my baby in my arms. I could wait to name it. Cato and I were bickering over names now. "If it's a girl, her name will be Lace," I said.

"Lace?" Cato asked. "That's so… District One. Our daughter will _not_ be named after fabric!"

"Whatever," I said. "If it's a boy, you can name him. But I want to name her if it's a girl!"

"Fine," he said, pursing his lips together. I smiled in victory. "It better be a boy," he mumbled under his breath.

"Aren't you supposed to be rebuilding some walls or something?" I asked him suddenly. He scratched his head and rose from our bed.

"Yes," he said. "I was just taking a bathroom break."

"You came out of the bathroom ten minutes ago."

"It's your fault! You wanted to argue over names!"

"Is not!"

"Fine," he said. "It's not. I'll see you at dinner." He kissed my cheek before taking off to do the work he was supposed to be doing. When Cato left, Annie appeared in the doorway. She must've noticed the open door. Annie and I had had a few conversations here and there, but we weren't the closest.

"Hi, Glimmer," she said shyly, smiling.

"Hi, Annie," I said, waving her over. Annie came inside and sat next to me. "Are you going to the meeting tonight?"

"I want to, but Finnick said that he doesn't want me to go. He said that I wouldn't be able to handle it," she said, frowning. Everyone seemed to think she was a mad woman, but she wasn't. She was just… different. She was quiet most of the time, but Finnick had described her as being emotionally unstable ever since he'd mentored her in the Games. It amazed me that Annie had won. I supposed that being a good swimmer helped her.

Even though I wasn't the best swimmer in the world, I wouldn't drown so easily. If it hadn't been for Cato, I probably wouldn't have lasted for as long as I did.

"He just wants you safe," I reassured her, squeezing her hand. "Even if I wasn't pregnant, Cato probably wouldn't want me in the action either. He just wants the best for me. I'm sure Finnick does too."

* * *

**CATO POV**

After dinner, Peeta, Katniss and I went to one of the meeting rooms that hadn't been destroyed. Glimmer could've went to, but she decided not to. She said that she was going to keep Finnick's girlfriend, Annie, company.

_This is it_, I thought as we walked into the room. We took our seats at the large table and waited for the others to come in. Miles and Johanna stumbled in last, giggling. Everyone seemed to find it humorous. He giggled like a girl, or at least I thought so.

"Now that we are all entertained," said Coin with a straight face, "I'd like to explain Phase Three." She cleared her throat and continued, "As Peeta has predicted, word has gotten out that we have lost our will to fight. So, in Snow's eyes, he has won and crushed the Rebellion. We have the support of several Capitol citizens, as well as Districts One, Two, and Four. Though it may not seem like much, this is exactly the help that we will need in order to take down Snow and take control of the Capitol as well."

I liked what I was hearing. I wondered if Gleam was going to get involved, or Thalia, Leo, and Katri. We needed all of the help that we could get, so I wasn't complaining.

"Phase Three will consist of a few parts. During Part One, everyone will be stationed in their proper places. Those in the Capitol will be disguised as _normal_ Capitol citizens. The Four Victors and past tributes will stay hidden until the time is right and commands are given. Each of you will be assigned a partner and earpieces. The earpieces have a few functions… One can call for backup, medics, and you will receive and respond to commands with this device," she said. "As for Part Two, we will send helicopters to surround the President's mansion. I want Katniss, Peeta, Miles, Johanna, Finnick, and Cato to be in the helicopters and—"

I jumped out of my seat, causing all heads to turn. "I'm part of it?" I exclaimed, pumping my fist in the air. She rolled her eyes at me, obviously not very happy about being interrupted. I took the hint and sat back down in my chair. I saw Katniss laughing to herself and I shot her a million dollar smile.

"As I was saying," Coin said, "After the helicopters surround the mansion, a message will be sent to Snow asking for his surrender. If he refuses, the first bomb will be dropped. Then we will ask for his cooperation once more. If he refuses for a second time, he will be arrested and taken as prisoner. The third part to Phase Three… Caesar Flickerman, who is on our side, will host a new show… A show in which Snow will confess all of the wrongs he has done. And for each lie, Katniss, Peeta, Cato, Miles, or Johanna will send an arrow flying into an arm or a leg, et cetera. Just make sure that you don't kill him. Cato will be delivering the final blow, since he requested the job first." She paused, looking at me. She gave me a small smile before going to speak again. "The final, and most exciting part of Phase Three, is the 76th Hunger Games featuring children of the Capitol. Our prisoner will watch the Games until they are finished, and then he will be eliminated."

Everyone began applauding, including me—especially since I'd be the one to get to kill him. I wondered how I'd do it. It would surely be satisfying. I really like this plan and we couldn't falter. We couldn't afford to. We'd come too far to lose now.

* * *

**So... What do you think of the plan? Is it good? Will it be executed perfectly? Or will everything be ruined, throwing the whole plan off? We shall see in the next chapters! Thanks for reading! And don't forget to review and follow so that you can be notified when I update! **


	11. Awkward Silence

**CATO POV**

A week and a half had gone by. Snow thought we'd surrendered. He'd even sent a messenger asking for Coin to sign papers saying that we'd given up which, of course, was a lie. It didn't matter whether the messenger had come or not, we were still going to destroy Snow regardless.

Phase Three was to begin tomorrow night. It was early evening and everyone was beginning to prepare. The hovercrafts and helicopters were being loaded with supplies. Coin gave everyone their earpieces, including me.

I was ecstatic when Coin told me that I was going to be an asset to the Phase. I thought I might be excluded forever, but _I_ was going to be the one to deliver the final blow. I was the one who would choose how he would die. Glimmer had suggested that I force a nightlock muffin down his throat, but I disagreed. I wanted his death to be slow and painful. I wanted him to suffer for hours so that every single memory he'd ever had would flash right before his eyes, slowly and painfully.

I wanted to make him feel everything that anyone had ever felt in the Games. Whether it be by nightmares or extreme hunger, I wanted him to experience it all. Sure, it was cruel, but he deserved it. He'd killed a countless number of people for no reason. And he would pay for it all. I'd killed people before, but it was only for my own survival. Snow had never had to fight for his survival. He never had to watch family and friends die by his own hand.

"Cato," called Glimmer. I snapped out of it. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said. I was. If anything, I was excited. I knew deep down that our plan would work and that everything would be fine. "Are you okay? How's the baby?"

She smiled and ran her hand across her stomach. She was beginning to get big. "I'm okay. I just want this to be over as soon as possible so that you can come back to me… and Lace."

I shook my head. I hoped that it was a boy. I had no idea what I'd name him, but it certainly wouldn't be Lace. "Don't worry," I said. "Everything will go as planned. I'll be back before you know it."

We were interrupted by an announcement. The voice said, "Our allies will be arriving over the next several hours. Please welcome them into our community."

I wondered who had shown up from my district. I knew that it was the center of Peacekeeper activity. Surely they'd be on the Capitol's side, but they were on ours. Glimmer and I went into the hallway, past people still working on the rebuilding of our district. "Cato!" shrieked a girl. I turned to find Thalia, Leo, and Katri running toward me.

I hugged each of them. "I didn't know you were coming," I said, genuinely surprised.

Leo smiled. "Of course we'd come," he said. "We knew you were here. And when we left, the district was in chaos. There have been riots. Some people have gotten pretty messed up, others died. One night, I got a bad feeling that something terrible was going to happen, so Katri and I grabbed Thalia and we ran away. We had heard that people were being welcomed here to help with the Rebellion."

"Of course, we were up for some kick-ass action," said Thalia, with a wink. I felt tension rising in the air. I wasn't sure if anyone else felt it, but I did. At this point, Glimmer knew that the girl was Thalia. She was squeezing my hand, unconsciously. It wasn't like she'd lose me. We were married now. I was hers and she was mine.

"But if we die, I'm going to kill you," said Katri, looking at me. I chuckled.

"At least it will be for a good cause," said Leo. "Besides, it's about time for revenge."

I took Glimmer's hand and raised it, showing my friends the diamond ring. Leo's eyes glittered with surprise. "Whoa!" he said dramatically. "When did that happen?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," I said, smirking. "I had to find out at the Victory Tour."

"It was sort of last minute," he replied. "I figured that with all of this crazy stuff going on with the Games and Snow, that we should just do it. And we did. It was a small ceremony. Nothing huge."

"So no more breakups?" I asked. Leo and Katri both blushed.

Leo shook his head. "No," he replied. "I won't let her leave me. I can't live without her."

"Clearly," I said, laughing. "Did I mention that I'll be a father in six months?"

"Really?" piped up Thalia. "That's amazing!"

Glimmer smiled from next to me. "I just hope that all of this is over by the time our baby is born."

"It will!" said Katri. She turned to Leo. "We want to start a family too, but it just hasn't happened yet. The odds haven't exactly been in our favor."

"Come on," said I, gesturing to my friends. "I'll show you around."

Glimmer turned to me. "I'm going to go and find Annie," she said.

I knew that it was because she felt awkward. After all, she and my friends didn't know each other. I let her go, no questions asked. I hadn't seen my friends in months, so I supposed that I wasn't necessarily being particularly selfish.

* * *

**GLIMMER POV**

I had pictured Thalia differently in my mind. I expected her to be ugly, actually. But she was just as pretty as I was. Her tan skin went perfectly with her dark eyes. And her glossy black mane of hair hung halfway down her back.

I continued toward Annie's room. My comparisons of myself to Thalia were cut short as I ran into someone I didn't expect to see. "Glimmer?"

I froze, in surprise. I hadn't expected to see Gleam here. Why would he come? He wasn't particularly courageous. He was strong and had good aim, but he wasn't one to pick a fight or do anything drastic. He was chosen for the Seventy Third Hunger Games, but someone volunteered for him instead. He'd been so relieved. He even told her so.

I supposed that I would've seen him at some point in my life, provided that I didn't die, but I wasn't expecting to see him during the Rebellion. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I came because I wanted to see you," he replied. "I knew that you'd be here. I heard about the bombings, so I wanted to make sure you were okay. And I want to fight too."

I shrugged my shoulders and switched the foot I was leaning on. "I'm fine. Everyone's fine."

"That's good," he said. There was an awkward silence, being that there was no one else in this hallway. "Look… I'm sorry for how I acted the last time you saw me. I shouldn't have. I was—"

"A jealous asshole?"

"Yes. I also wanted to know if you'd give me another chance."

"Another chance? I'm with Cato. Nothing has changed."

"But I know that I can treat you better than him. I know you better than he does, maybe better than anyone. I'm _still_ in love with you," he said, leaning in closer to me. It made me very uncomfortable. I felt his warm breath against my cheeks. I could hear his breathing.

I raised my finger, the one with the ring on it, putting it between us. "I'm _married_ now. I'm going to have a baby in a few months. I'm happy now."

He stepped back, staring at the ring in horror. He looked as if he was ready to cry, but I didn't feel sorry for him. It was too late now, far too late. He shook his head, unable to believe anything I'd just said to him. "That was supposed to be _me_!"

"You've had your chance, Gleam. It didn't work," I said. Then I glared at him. "Have you really come back to fight? Or was it just to try to win me back?"

He said nothing. His face turned red and he stormed away before I could stop him. Not that I would.

* * *

**RORY POV**

Prim and I walked past lots of people, some new, some old. There were people from other districts coming in. They were our allies, according to Peeta. I liked him.

Cato had told me almost two weeks ago that I should tell Prim how I feel about her. Peeta agreed. He told me that he had liked Katniss for years and that even though she felt nothing toward him at first, the odds ended up being in his favor after all.

If Prim didn't like me, she probably wouldn't have let me kiss her. She even smiled after I did it. That had to mean something.

We ended up going into the library. There was never anyone in there. And it was one of the places that hadn't been destroyed in the bombings. Prim went to look in the medical section. She said that she wanted to be a medic someday. I supported her. She knew more about herbs and plants than I ever would.

I sat down in a chair, flipping aimlessly through a book. I wasn't sure what I wanted to be when I became an adult. I had five more years to go until that happened. I wasn't sure what I was good at. I was a pretty good writer, according to my teachers. But where would writing take me. Maybe I'd publish a book or write poetry and short stories. "What are you thinking about?" said Prim smiling at me. I hadn't noticed that she'd sat in the chair next to mine.

"About what I want to be when I grow up," I said.

"What do you want to be?"

"A writer, maybe."

"Really? Maybe you can help me write a book about medicine."

"You'll make a really good doctor."

I saw the happiness in her eyes. "Thanks."

I decided to get to the point. "I wanted to tell you something."

"What do you want to tell me?"

"I wanted to say," I said, "that I really like you. I have for a while."

She smiled a toothy smile this time. "I like you too."

I kissed her again, just a peck. "I wanted to do that for a while too."

* * *

**I know I took forever to update, I've been really busy lately with school. Six more months or so until graduation! Then I'm free! At least for three months until college. But Christmas is coming up soon! I should probably go shopping. I haven't started... But I hope that you've enjoyed this chapter. It's sort of a filler until I decide how I want the next chapter to go.**


	12. Betrayal

**CATO POV**

Everyone was preparing for the Final Phase. Outside, I appeared determined and ready to go. Inside, I felt uneasy. I ate my food without actually tasting it. Glimmer put her hand in mine. She knew that I was a little nervous, though I didn't show it. She could always tell what I was feeling. That's one of the reasons that I loved her. And she loved me just the same.

"It's time to go," said Miles, who had just approached our table. Peeta, Katniss, and I rose from the table throwing our trays away. Before following them, I gave Glimmer a kiss and promised that I would, without a doubt, come back to her no matter what it took. I had to be there for her, and for our baby.

Miles led us toward the helicopters. I placed my earpiece in my ear, quickly showing Peeta how to use it again. Miles, Johanna, and I piled into one helicopter, while Katniss, Peeta, and Finnick got into the other.

After a few minutes, the roof parted and we rose into the air. I wondered where my friends were, what jobs they'd been assigned. I hoped that they would be all right., wherever they were.

Coin had told me previously that they had sent undercover Rebels ahead, into the President's mansion. He'd hired more people to protect the place. I didn't blame him. I'd be scared out of my mind if I were him. He more people against him than I could count.

I closed my eyes and prayed. I had no idea who or what I was praying to, but I begged for somebody, anybody, to watch over us as we carried out this dangerous plan. We hovered in the air, pressing forward, forward. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the other helicopter in the air close by. Noticing me, Finnick gave me a thumbs up from the other helicopter. "Nervous?" Johanna asked me.

I nodded. There was no need to lie about it. Sure, I could fight my way through it. It was just the outcome that frightened me. What if I died? What if Glimmer died, and our baby? What if my friends died? What then? "Of course," I said. "Not of the battle, but of what's going to happen by the end of it."

"Don't worry so much," said Miles. "We've gone over the plan a million times. We'll be fine. Have some faith." How could he be so nonchalant, knowing that there was a chance that he wouldn't live to see Johanna again? I felt like I was in the Games again, on the road to death.

"I guess you're right," I said. "I should be positive." Johanna nodded in response.

"Just think of Glimmer and the look on her face when you come back to her," she said. I imagined it. It would be the best feeling in the world. I'd pick her up and spin her around, kissing her and telling her how much I love her. I'd make her as happy as I possibly could, never to hurt her or make her cry.

"Okay," I said softly, smiling to myself. "How long is it going to take to get to the Capitol?"

Miles yawned. "A few hours," he said. "Enough to take a nap." Soon enough he was leaning on Johanna, fast asleep. She smiled at me before closing her own eyes. I decided to do the same. For all I knew, it could be the last time I'd ever sleep.

* * *

A few hours later, I woke. Johanna told me that we'd be arriving in the Capitol in a few minutes. "There's some guys in the mansion now, looking for Snow. Getting things set up." Miles was awake too. He had a phone-like device in his hand, looking distressed.

"What?" he demanded, also looking livid. "What do you mean he's not there! There have been people watching all of the exits! How could he have escaped?" He hung up and sighed. He looked up at me gravely. "We've been betrayed. Had to be."

**GLIMMER POV**

I was pacing back and forth. By now Cato and the others should have been nearing the Capitol. The plan had to work! It had to!

I wished that I could control time. If I could, I would fast forward to the next morning. As I was wrapped up in my thoughts, I heard a knock at the door. Opening it, I found Annie who looked terrified. "What happened, Annie?" I asked, hoping that everything was okay with her.

"I just spoke to Coin," she said. "She said that someone betrayed us. Snow isn't in the mansion. They looked everywhere. Somehow, he fled."

My eyes opened wide. "Betrayed? By who?" Anger boiled up inside me. Being angry probably wasn't good for the baby, but I couldn't suppress what I felt inside. "Who could have done it? There were so many volunteers . . . It could have been one of them. Or it could have been one of us, though I doubt that. What's going to happen now?"

Tears formed at Annie's eyes. I knew that she was afraid for Finnick, as I was afraid for my Cato. We both wanted our men home, safe and sound. But how could we know if they were safe or sound? We didn't even know how we were going to get our hands on Snow. This event was going to change everything. From there on, everything would change-possibly forever.

* * *

**PRIM POV**

I didn't understand what was going on. All of the adults were rushing to the meeting rooms after President Coin had made a grim announcement over the loudspeakers. What was happening? Had something gone wrong? I needed to know.

I ran for Rory. Pushing past all of the adults, I ran for Rory. I had to see him. Maybe he knew what was happening. I banged on the door to his room, nearly scared to death. He answered, confused by my panicked expression. "Prim," he said softly. "What's wrong?"

"I think something happened," I replied. "I'm afraid."

He took my hand and led me down the hallway. "Let's find Glimmer," he said. "I'm sure she knows what's going on. She'll tell us." I nodded and followed behind my crush. We spotted Glimmer in the hallway, on our way to her room. She was walking side by side with Annie. Rory called out to her, causing her to turn toward us. Despite the discord in the hall, she smiled and came over to hug us both. "What's going on?" he questioned.

In a hushed voice, she said, "We've been betrayed. I think we might have to change the plan. Go to your rooms and stay out of the way. I'll explain everything when I can."

Nodding, we both turned the other way, defeated. Rory gave me a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be all right," he said.

"How can you be so sure?" I asked, slightly annoyed by his always-positive attitude.

"I'm not," he said, shrugging. "But it's better to have hope than to mope and be sad all the time." Rory was right. He was always right. That was one of the things I liked most about him. But he had a point. I should stop being so negative and have some hope. Without hope, there is nothing. Without hope, you can only hope to be thrown into a downward spiral of emptiness and utter solitude.

* * *

**GLIMMER POV**

Annie came with me to the meeting. Finnick wouldn't have wanted her to. But lives were at stake. We needed all of the help that we could get. Before it was too late, much too late.

Pushing open the steel doors, I found that the room was crowded-more crowded than it had ever been before. Everyone looked frantic, whispering to each other, waiting for Coin's arrival. Nearly everyone had family members and friends out there, part of the Phase. They were all concerned.

Coin walked in and stood at the front of the room. I held Annie's hand as she began to speak. "We have been betrayed," she said. "Snow has managed to escape the mansion. We will have to come up with new plans. It is vital that we find him. Without Snow's presence, we are left with nothing."

At that, everyone in the room started bickering: "I bet it was those damn volunteers!"

"See! We shouldn't have let them into our District!"

"It could have been one of our own!"

"That's ridiculous!"

"How would you know?"

President Coin rubbed her temples. Neither I nor Annie said anything. It amazed me how much people argued and yelled when they were afraid. "Enough!" she shouted. "We will never come up with a solution if we fight amongst ourselves!" The room was immediately quiet once she said this, coming into the realization that she was right. That was the problem with people. You fought and you fought, never able to agree on much of anything.

"If everyone is finished arguing," she said, "we can plan what to do."

"So what's the plan?" someone asked.

"I do not know," she admitted. "I thought that our plan was so perfect that I didn't even think about what would happen if something went wrong."

Then, it was I who spoke. "I have an idea."

* * *

**I know I took forever, but things have been really hectic and I had writer's block :/ And comment if you think you know who the traitor is.**


	13. Last Chance

**GLIMMER POV**

I didn't know why I said what I said. If anything, my idea was probably stupid. There was probably hardly a chance that it could work. Everyone in the room tuned expectantly, urging me on. I mustered up some courage and spoke. "Snow is probably fleeing as we speak. He must've just escaped. We had his location less than an hour ago, thanks to our undercovers. He couldn't have gotten that far yet," I said. Coin raised her eyebrows, intrigued. "What I'm trying to say is that he'll probably try to leave Panem and go into hiding. He knows that pretty much all of the districts want him dead. He knows that there's nowhere for him to turn. He's going to go to the port. He'll probably take a train. It's fastest."

"What are you implying?" asked Coin.

"Get the helicopters to the port. If our people get there in time, we can destroy him . . . once and for all," I said with determination. Tears threatened to fall from my eyes, but I didn't allow them to fall. I had to be strong. Everyone in the room began clapping, pleased with my idea. I was surprised. I didn't expect to get any positive feedback.

Coin smiled and me and nodded before leaving the room, barking orders into a walkie-talkie. From right next to me, Annie squeezed my hand. I smiled at her. Now all we had to do was wait and see if Snow could be located. All we needed was patience. I wasn't sure how much longer I could wait. Our first plan had failed. My plan was our only hope. Without my plan, there was none and we were left with nothing.

* * *

**CATO POV**

Betrayed? By who? Who would dare betray us and risk being caught? Whoever it was deserved punishment. Whoever it was, I knew that it was one of the volunteers. It had to be. There were so many of them. I wouldn't be surprised. The others seemed to think the same.

Miles was furious. I don't think I've ever seen him so angry. Johanna was trying to calm him down, but it only helped but so much. He kept blaming himself, even though there wasn't really anyone to blame. As a district I supposed that we were all to blame, in a way. We should have had a backup plan. We should have planned further. but we had gotten cocky. Cockiness lead to things not going as planned. We should have . . . could have . . . but didn't. It was too late now.

As Coin told us what our new task was, I grew anxious. We were looking for a train: one headed for the port. There would probably be a boat waiting for him. The boat would probably take him overseas, to whatever was left of Europe and Asia. He would be safe there. No one would know who he was. Or what he'd done. He'd get a fresh start. A chance to live.

I couldn't let that happen. If he was able to get away, I would never forgive myself for it. I'd live in shame each day because Snow got away and his life was spared. I had never been more determined in my life. Snow had to pay. He had to die. If he was allowed to live, I wouldn't be able to bear it. We all wanted him dead. And I'd be more than happy to put his life to an end. I didn't want to kill anyone. _Maybe if I convince myself that I'm in the Games and I'm fighting for survival, it will be easier to kill him,_ I thought. Maybe it would work. Just maybe.

"Do you think that we'll be able to get to the port in time?" asked Johanna.

"We'd better," grumbled a cranky Miles.

"We will," I assured them. "And we're gonna find out who the traitor is too. Whoever they are, they can die . . . _right_ along with Snow."

We flew and we flew. We were headed toward the port, right between Districts Twelve and Thirteen. Everyone stayed awake, keeping an eye out for any trains headed for the port. We saw trains, but none of them were going to the port. Sighing,I sat back in my seat and stared out of the window, waiting. Waiting. That was the only thing left to do. And my patience was wearing thin.

I looked out of the window. We were passing over District Twelve, according to Miles. There wasn't much of anything left. Everything was left in devastation. There was nothing that I, or anyone else, could do. It was too late. So many lives had been lost. Some probably managed to escape the bombings, fleeing to nearby districts. I was just glad that my friends were okay, as well as my Glimmer.

I wanted to talk to her. I knew that she was probably shaken up by our current status on the mission, but it would be okay. Everything would be okay. We were going to find the train and stop Snow before he had a chance to escape his fate. And I would be the one to capture him. As much as I wanted to kill him, part of me wanted to make him pay, make him suffer for all of the terrible things he'd done over the years.

He killed my parents. He killed my in-laws. The bombings were his doing. He killed thousands. He'd punished so many. Now it was his turn. It was time for him to get what he deserved.

* * *

**MILES POV**

I was beginning to think that we wouldn't find him. We were getting closer and closer to the port and I wasn't sure if he'd be there. I wanted him dead as much as anyone, but I was beginning to doubt whether we would succeed.

Johanna squeezed my hand and gave me a faint smile. Then my earpiece beeped. I pressed the button quickly, eager for some type of lead or something.

I heard Peeta's voice. "Miles?"

"Yeah? You got any new information?"

"Katniss sees something up ahead. Look out of the window."

I looked out of the window, searching frantically. Then I spotted it. It was definitely a moving object. And it was moving across the tracks. It was starting to slow down since we were getting closer to the port. "Looks like we might have him after all, Peeta," I said, smiling. "Did you tell Coin and the others?"

"I will," he said. And then he was gone.

I turned to Cato and glanced sideways at Johanna. "Look ahead," I said. "There's a train on its way to the port."

Cato grinned and clapped his hands together. "I'm ready. Think he has people with him?"

Johanna rolled her eyes at me. "Of course he has people, Cato. You really think he was going to leave Panem without some sort of backup?"

"Not sure. I'd say he's pretty brave," I answered.

Miles interjected by raising a hand. "Enough debating. We have a president to assassinate."

* * *

**Sorry for taking so long! I had really bad writer's block. It's short but I didn't wanna keep you guys waiting. So I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Probably won't be able to update for a while. Finals, prom, graduation, and all of that drama starts in about two weeks so I'll be really busy. But hopefully I'll have something up soon. And you'll find out who the traitor is in the next chapter.**


	14. Nowhere to Run

**CATO POV**

"You ready for this?" I asked Miles and Johanna as I picked up my gun. I made sure it was loaded and checked my belt for my machete. Inwardly, I worried about Leo, Katri, Glimmer and Thalia. I knew that Glimmer was safe, but I couldn't say the same about my friends. They were assigned to the Capitol and I had no idea what was going on there. We were miles away and it seemed pointless to give it a thought because there was nothing I could do, even if they were in trouble.

Miles nodded, snapping me out of my gloomy thoughts. "Let's end this here."

Johanna sighed, cocking her own gun. "Let's just get this over with," she said. "I wonder just who exactly is on that train. How many people do you think he'd bring?"

"Probably not many," I answered. "And if he brought a lot of people . . . who cares? We can take 'em."

Johanna smiled brightly at me, securing the axe that hung from her belt. "Confidence is key. Get ready, we're going to drop down onto the train. Brace yourselves."

* * *

**GLEAM POV**

I knew I made the right choice when I decided to become allies with Snow. He was powerful. He could give me what I wanted. He could make sure that Cato died. I wanted him dead so that I could be with Glimmer.

Sure, she'd be heartbroken and she'd cry for a while, but I could give her a shoulder to cry on. I needed her back. When I found out that she'd left District 1, I was angry because I knew that it had to do with him. I started to hear rumors about District 13. Apparently, it existed. When I heard that they needed volunteers to fight against Snow, I decided that I'd join the forces since I had a feeling that Glimmer and Cato would be there.

And sure enough, they were. Glimmer rejected me then, but I was sure that once Cato was out of the picture, she'd come crawling back. I knew that she was pregnant, but that didn't bother me. It was Glimmer and I loved her. I'd do anything for her. Even if the baby wasn't mine, I'd help her raise it as if it were my own.

I still couldn't get over the fact that they were _married_. Before, they'd just been together. Now, they were linked to each other in a bond like no other. When she'd told me, the shock couldn't go unnoticed on my face. I never thought they'd tie the knot. I supposed that I'd never thought about all of the "what ifs."

I just had to make sure that Cato was eliminated. Once he was, everything would be perfect. My first task would be complete. My second task, however, was to make Glimmer fall in love with me again. I just knew that somewhere in her heart, she still cared about me. Maybe not as much as I cared for her, but at least a little.

I had my bags ready. Snow had promised me protection and I was helping him get out of Panem. He was planning on going overseas somewhere, but he wouldn't tell me. He'd simply said not to worry about it and that I'd be taken care of. I trusted him, even though most didn't.

I heard a very loud thump right above my head. The train came to a screeching halt. Two other loud thumps followed.

"What's going on?" demanded Snow.

"I . . . don't know, Sir," replied one of the guards.

"Well go outside and find out!" he barked.

The guard muttered something inaudible under his breath and headed toward the door. When he opened it, I saw him get snatched and pulled up to the roof of the train. Another loud thump was made and a gunshot fired.

My eyes widened in alarm. There had to be people on the roof. What else could it be? An animal certainly couldn't fire a gun on its own. A monkey, perhaps. No, I thought. Monkeys don't just roam around this part of the country. This isn't some wildlife reserve.

Snow eyed the open door suspiciously. There was silence. I could hear no movement but that didn't mean that the intruders weren't moving. They could be plotting, scheming. I didn't know why they were doing what they were doing. And I didn't know what their next move would be. They probably wanted to kill Snow, which meant that I wasn't a threat to them. I was pretty confident that they wouldn't kill me.

I didn't care whether or not Snow got killed. But if he got killed, how would I be taken care of? Would Cato still be killed? How could I even be sure that Glim would let me back into her life? I wasn't sure about anything.

Suddenly, I regretted siding with Snow. It was him against thousands of people. Those thousands of people wanted him eliminated once and for all. Surely, they could kill him. He was powerful and had a few people on his side, but how far could that stretch?

I took a breath and took a rather large knife from my bag. I knew that I might have to fight. Fighting wouldn't be a problem for me. I was skilled. I lived in the District that Careers were born in, for God's sake! But that didn't mean anything. I tended to avoid fights when I could. Some would call it being a coward, but I called it being safe. To me, winning a fight was all about luck. The best fighter in the world could have their life ended just because they _almost_ dodged the knife. It was about speed, agility. And luck played a huge role.

When I looked to my left, Snow was gone. That bastard! He'd left without even telling me. I would think that he'd keep me by his side since we were supposed to be allies and all. Above, I heard footsteps again. I swore under my breath and hid in one of the nearby bathroom. I locked the door and hoped for the best.

"Snow," a cool, male voice cooed, "come out, come out wherever you are." The voice sounded familiar. Maybe it was. If they were rebels, I might have met them before.

"Check all the rooms," suggested a female voice. "He has to be here somewhere. Hell, maybe the little traitor is here, too. I'll check the front."

"I'm gonna look outside," said a different male voice.

My heartbeat quickened and I gulped. I heard footsteps walking past, heading toward the back of the train. I took deep breaths. There was no way that I wouldn't be found. I could possibly be killed if they found me. I looked around the bathroom, trying to formulate a plan. A huge smile formed on my face as I noticed a window that was big enough for me to get through.

* * *

**CATO POV**

If Snow wasn't on the train, then he had to be outside somewhere. There was nowhere for him to run or hide. I'd notice if he got on a boat. Just in case, I got in touch with Peeta and the others through my headset.

"Peeta," I called.

"Need backup?" he asked from the other side.

"Send Finnick down," I told him. "This might just require some swimming."

"Gotcha," said Peeta.

"And one more thing," I said.

"What's that?"

I smirked. "Get the bombs ready. If he tries to escape, we'll blow him right out of the water." At this point, I didn't care how he died. Sure, I wanted him to suffer. But most of me just wanted him gone right now. I didn't want to take my time. I wanted him to die . . . right here and right now.

I walked across the top of the train. Being higher up gave me a better view. The helicopter hovered above before Finnick dropped down onto the roof of the train. Peeta and Katniss saluted me.

Finnick put his rifle behind his head, holding it at each end. He fashioned a smirk similar to mine. "Needed me?"


End file.
